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Why is this important? The representation has been made that health care reform is the key to repairing the long-term budget outlook — more important than Social Security reform, more important than all other entitlement reforms, more important than all other spending reforms combined.If health care reform fails to fix any of these fiscal problems — instead adding enormously to projected deficits — then the government will have created an irreparable fiscal problem. In this nightmare scenario, health care reforms far worsen the outlook, both in the near term and the long term, and large tax increases are needed simply to offset this further damage, even before beginning the serious work of repairing our dire current-law fiscal outlook.

Republicans and Democrats will necessarily disagree about the appropriate balance between spending restraint and tax increases to address our increasingly urgent fiscal situation. But we can’t even have a serious discussion about these urgent repairs if enormous tax increases are required merely to finance an absurd further-upward ratcheting of our already unsustainable federal health care commitments.

Whatever happened to health care reform being the key to fixing our long-term finances? We all agree that the status quo in health care financing is unsustainable. Exactly what is the economic argument for making this dreadful situation worse by $800 billion in the near term and by trillions over the long term?

The president’s words are very clear: He has promised not to sign health care reforms that add one dime to the deficit. He most definitely did not say, “I will sign health care reforms that add enormously to the deficit and impose large tax increases to offset that.”

The public and the press need to demand that Congress meet the president’s explicitly stated standard. This means repairing not a $239 billion hole but an $820 billion one in the current legislation. And that is just to stay even; true health care reform would improve the outlook, not merely leave us on an unsustainable course.

Health care negotiators thus have, at the very least, $820 billion further to go. Anything less, and health care “reform” would have passed on the basis of a destructive and misleading foundation.

Chuck Blahous is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute who previously served as deputy director of the National Economic Council. He is currently writing a book titled “Social Security: The Unfinished Work.”

Instead of everyone stuffing the pockets of private, for profit, insurance companies, we pay premiums- quite smaller ones at that- to a Medicare for All system.

Take the profit out of the system, along with advertising, massive executive salaries, lobbying and campaign donations and just cover everyone.

Need more money to cover those who can't afford a premium- institute a 1/4 of 1% stock transfer tax and raise about $150 billion a year.

Single payer would save trillions over the years, add trillions to our economy, create over 2 million new jobs because of that freed up money.

Don't believe the lies about the Canadian system- it works. Don't believe the lies that gov't can't run an insurance program- look at the VA system- one of the best run health care programs in the world- run by the government.

Instead of everyone stuffing the pockets of private, for profit, insurance companies, we pay premiums- quite smaller ones at that- to a Medicare for All system.

Take the profit out of the system, along with advertising, massive executive salaries, lobbying and campaign donations and just cover everyone.

Need more money to cover those who can't afford a premium- institute a 1/4 of 1% stock transfer tax and raise about $150 billion a year.

Single payer would save trillions over the years, add trillions to our economy, create over 2 million new jobs because of that freed up money.

Don't believe the lies about the Canadian system- it works. Don't believe the lies that gov't can't run an insurance program- look at the VA system- one of the best run health care programs in the world- run by the government.

How about all those people who want everyone to have health insurance pay for someone's policy who doesn't have one? It'd be cheaper in the long run. Don't tax me because someone else chooses to go without or under insures themselves. The Federal Government has NO BUSINESS running my medical plan. PERIOD.

How about all those people who want advocate everyone to have health insurance offer to pay for someone's policy who doesn't currenly have one? It'd be cheaper in the long run anyway and isn't it generous to see them benevolent with other people's hard earned money? Don't tax/penalize me because someone else chooses to go without or under insures themselves. The Federal Government has NO BUSINESS running my medical plan. PERIOD.